If your fridge’s freezer compartment regularly runs out of room for your food supplies, consider a separate freezer. A chest freezer prioritises capacity and bulky packaging, while an upright freezer makes it easier to organise food and access it frequently. If you’re also replacing your fridge and only need a little extra freezer space, compare the freezer capacities of fridge-freezers first. In every case, check the available space, annual energy consumption and the ambient temperature range permitted for the specific model.
If you buy in bulk or store large packs, start by working out how much freezer space you need and how much floor space you have available. According to Que Choisir, chest freezers can hold up to 600 L, while upright models typically hold around 200 L, with some reaching 400 L.
If you often add portions and regularly need to find a particular food, look at the drawer layout and how easy it is to access each compartment, not just the total capacity. A large open compartment will need more organisation to help you find items stored at the bottom.
If you don’t have room for a large chest freezer, measure the space available for an upright model. If you also need to replace your fridge, compare the freezer capacity of a large fridge-freezer with what you actually need.
Consider it: if you need plenty of storage or have bulky packs, and have enough suitable floor space.
The trade-off: you can organise the open space however you like, but items at the bottom may be harder to find.
Consider it: if you want to sort food into drawers and often access small portions.
The trade-off: check that the capacity and compartment layout can accommodate your largest packs.
Consider it: if you’re also replacing your fridge and don’t need a separate freezer for extra storage.
The trade-off: check the freezer compartment capacity separately from the appliance’s total capacity.
First, work out how much space you need for your food, then consider how each format suits the way you access it and where you’ll install the appliance. The CSA survey for UNILET, carried out from 29 April to 6 May 2024 among 1,004 adults in France, looked at why people eat frozen vegetables; it did not ask about freezer-buying preferences.
| Criterion | What to check | To suit your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Storage capacity | Compare the freezer compartment capacity in litres, rather than the total capacity of a fridge-freezer. Check how much usable space there is for the packs you usually buy. | I want enough room for supplies without filling a space that’s difficult to organise. In the 2024 CSA survey for UNILET, 46% of those surveyed who ate frozen vegetables cited ease of storage as one reason for eating them; 59% cited how easy they are to keep. These figures do not measure the need to buy a freezer. |
| Access to food | Look at the drawers, baskets and access to the back of the appliance. If you’ll be adding large quantities of fresh food, also check the model’s stated freezing capacity. | To find my portions quickly, I need to know how they’ll be stored. In the same 2024 CSA survey for UNILET, 50% of those surveyed who ate frozen vegetables cited ease of use and saving time when preparing meals; the survey did not identify a preference between chest and upright freezers. |
| Energy use and noise | The European Commission says the energy label provides details including the energy class, annual consumption in kWh, storage volumes and noise level. Compare the kWh/year for appliances with a similar storage capacity. | I want to understand the energy use of an appliance that runs continuously and know how noisy it is before deciding where to put it. |
| Installation | Measure the appliance, the required clearance and how far the door or lid opens. If it’s going in an unheated or very warm room, check the temperatures it can operate in against its climate class and the model’s instructions. | The freezer needs to fit in the space available and work at the temperatures in my kitchen, utility room or garage. |
A large chest freezer gives you open storage space, but items at the bottom may be hard to find. An upright freezer also needs room for the door to open and the drawers to slide out.
Measure the space and the clearance needed, then think about where you’ll store large bags and the portions you use each week.
An unheated room may fall outside the ambient temperature range the appliance is designed for. A feature listed for some models from a particular brand won’t necessarily apply to the entire range.
Check the possible temperatures in the room against the climate class and the instructions for the model you’re considering.
The letter alone tells you neither the freezer capacity nor the annual energy consumption. According to ADEME, freezers are among the appliances that run continuously.
Check the kWh/year, capacity and noise level on the energy labels of models that suit your needs, then compare appliances with a suitable capacity.
Old freezers need to be taken to an appropriate collection point for electrical equipment. Their size and where they’re installed will affect how you arrange collection.
Before ordering, ask the retailer what take-back options are available with delivery or collection of your new appliance.
Beko’s French range includes upright freezers. The brand offers No Frost and, on selected models, FreezerGuard, which is designed for ambient temperatures as low as -15 °C.
Haier’s French catalogue includes both upright and chest freezers, so you can compare the two formats within the same brand.
Whirlpool’s French range includes upright freezers. The product details for its WHFF6403W4E model specify a capacity of 404 L.
This selection includes chest freezers and an upright model for adding a separate freezer, as well as a fridge-freezer to consider if you’re also replacing your fridge. Compare each appliance by its freezer capacity and the space you have available.
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A chest freezer to consider if you have large packs to store and enough floor space. The product title lists an E energy class, a removable basket, LED lighting and five-level digital controls. Check the permitted ambient temperature range before installing it in an unheated room.
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This fridge-freezer is worth comparing if you’re also replacing your fridge: its stated 360 L capacity is for the whole appliance, not just the freezer compartment. The product title lists Total No Frost and an E energy class. Check the separate freezer capacity, as well as the required dimensions and clearance.
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This upright freezer is worth considering if you’d rather store your supplies in drawers than in an open chest. The product title lists No Frost, three freezer drawers, a reversible door hinge and a C energy class. Check its dimensions, kWh/year and climate class for the intended location.
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This 99 L chest freezer is worth considering as extra storage rather than for very large stocks. The product title lists a removable wire basket, an adjustable thermostat and an E energy class. Check the kWh/year and climate class if you’re installing it in a garage or utility room.
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This 140 L chest freezer offers a capacity to compare with other options, depending on the space available. The product title lists a counterbalanced lid, adjustable temperature control and an E energy class. Check whether a basket is included if you need one for organising your food, and confirm the kWh/year and climate class before buying.
Consider a separate freezer if your fridge’s freezer compartment regularly runs out of room for your food supplies. If you also need to replace your fridge and only need a little extra freezer space, compare the freezer compartment capacity of fridge-freezers first; the appliance’s total capacity won’t answer this question.
A chest freezer gives you open space for large packs, but you’ll need a way to organise it so you can find what’s at the bottom. An upright freezer divides food into compartments; check that the drawers fit your food and can be opened in the space available.
Compare annual energy consumption in kWh with the freezer capacity you need. The European Commission says the label also gives the energy efficiency class and noise level. The class letter on its own tells you neither the model’s capacity nor its annual energy consumption.
Yes, provided the ambient temperature range specified for the model covers the actual temperatures in your garage. Que Choisir gives a range of 10 to 32 °C for climate class SN; some Beko models are stated to work at lower temperatures, but you’ll need to confirm this for the model you choose.
Check the model’s stated freezing capacity, the manufacturer’s instructions and the storage time specified in the event of a power cut. Que Choisir’s testing protocol distinguishes between freezing speed and temperature stability: storage capacity alone doesn’t tell you how well an appliance performs in these areas.